Isabelino de Diego. Farewell to an illustrious shoemaker

Perhaps many have not met the Isabelino de Diego Barranco from Almería, however, this craftsman who earned a well-deserved place among the illustrious shoemakers of Spain, was a collaborator of the Footwear Museum that, in 1994, addressed the Week of Fashion for the second time. Footwear Crafts. How did the Elizabethan shoemaker get to Elda? In 1993, the Footwear Museum convened the First Week of Footwear Crafts. It was a week dedicated to carrying out activities that would give prestige to the city of Elda as the cradle of the artisan shoe with exhibitions related to the shoe and its components, without forgetting a well-deserved tribute to the workers who had stood out for their love and affection. to the profession during their working life. In 1994, supported by the exhibitions of the Craft Week, also with the presence of the veterans of the shoe industry who were once again honored, with a very careful exhibition of artisan shoes received from almost all corners of the country, The prizes were awarded to the winners of the First National Artisan Footwear Contest. On November 11, 1994, the best shoe artisans in Spain met in Elda: Isabelino de Diego from Almería; Pedro Lozano, who worked in Palencia and Manuel Reina who practiced his trade in Madrid. The named shoemakers won the first three prizes, but there was also a shoemaker, also from Madrid, who received a second prize for the meritorious work of his work, Antonio Alonso, and a special prize would be awarded to a local shoemaker who fell on the work of Jesus Gonzalez Galocha. Although the competition in this I Contest was very close and the jury had to make a great selection effort to choose the winner. Isabelino de Diego's work came in second place, however, in the contest held in 1995, he would win first prize, his winning shoes were simply perfect. De Diego, a shoemaker who specially made custom-made shoes and boasted of counting among his regular clients the well-remembered Nobel Prize winner for Literature, Camilo José Cela. The shoe that Isabelino presented in those national contests organized by our museum, were men's shoes with double and triple fence, impressive! March 28, 2023 will remain in the memory of the Spanish shoe industry, as the day we lost a great professional, perhaps the best among the best. Rest in Peace and thank you for your exemplary work.